The Tecolotes Dos Laredos lost 2-0 Wednesday after inclement weather delayed the start of their game to 9:21 p.m. Wednesday at Uni-Trade Stadium.

The Tecolotes Dos Laredos lost 2-0 Wednesday after inclement weather delayed the start of their game to 9:21 p.m. Wednesday at Uni-Trade Stadium.

Photo: Courtesy Of Tecolotes Dos Laredos

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Workers from the Parks & Recreation Department try to get the field ready at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day prior to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday night. The game was delayed more than two hours. less

Workers from the Parks & Recreation Department try to get the field ready at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day prior to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday ... more

Photo: Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

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Players wait as the field is being worked on at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day caused a more than two-hour delay to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday night. less

Players wait as the field is being worked on at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day caused a more than two-hour delay to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday ... more

Photo: Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

Image 4 of 5

Workers from the Parks & Recreation Department try to get the field ready at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day prior to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday night. The game was delayed more than two hours. less

Workers from the Parks & Recreation Department try to get the field ready at Uni-Trade Stadium after inclement weather earlier in the day prior to the Tecolotes' matchup with Acereros de Monclova Wednesday ... more

Photo: Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

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Tecolotes lose offensive momentum after weather delay

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Coming off a pair of dominant offensive performances, the Tecolotes Dos Laredos had their momentum washed away Wednesday as inclement weather pushed the start time back more than two hours with the first pitch at 9:21 p.m. at Uni-Trade Stadium in a 2-0 loss to Acereros del Monclova.

“It was a tough game,” Tecos manager Eddy Castro said. “The conditions out there were bad. It was really cold for the players. We still had a couple chances to score runs and we didn’t take advantage. That happens in baseball.”

The Tecolotes had a golden opportunity to climb in the LMB North standings as the Sultanes de Monterrey (19-10) built on their division lead with a 5-1 victory over Generales de Durango (14-15). Instead the Tecos (13-16) remained a game back and allowed Monclova (12-16) to pull back within half a game of them for fifth place.

Tony Guerra was making his first start after pitching 11.2 scoreless innings in 11 relief appearances. His scoreless streak was quickly snapped Wednesday as the Acereros pulled ahead in the first inning. Yefri Perez led off and narrowly beat the throw to first after a ground ball. After he stole second, Guerra got a strikeout and a ground out to leave Perez at third with two outs. Guerra picked up his second strikeout of the inning against Desmond Jennings but not before a wild pitch allowed Flores to come home.

Guerra (1-1, 1.13 ERA) suffered his first loss but impressed his coach in his first crack at the No. 5 spot in the rotation. He allowed two runs, four hits and four walks over 4.1 innings with four strikeouts. Former LCC pitcher Chris Rocha (0-1, 5.52 ERA) was targeted for the No. 5 role in his second season, but he combined for only three innings in his two starts.

“The fifth spot is open because we gave Rocha a couple outings and he wasn’t the pitcher he was last year as a rookie pitcher,” Castro said. “We tried Tony and we’ll see from now on. He pitched really well.”

Enrique Osorio returned from a one-game absence due to an eye injury and led off for the Tecolotes. He was coming off his best day at the plate this season with five hits including two home runs in a 23-5 victory over Algodoneros Unión Laguna, and he went 2-for-4 Wednesday. Balbino Fuenmayor was also coming off five-hit performance with two home runs in Tuesday’s 9-3 victory over Monclova. He hit a two-out single in the bottom of the first and J.C. Thompson followed with a walk to load the bases, but Juan Martinez followed with a strikeout to end the threat.

Fuenmayor’s single gave him a hit in 10 consecutive at-bats. After his 16-game hitting streak ended Saturday, he popped out in his first appearance Sunday. He was 10-for-10 with three home runs, five runs and seven RBIs during the streak but went 0-for-3 the rest of the game while leaving five runners on base. Fuenmayor ranks third in the LMB with a .416 average and is just .007 off the leader.

“People think Balbino is just a power hitter, but he’s a good hitter with power and that’s a big difference,” Castro said. “The clean-up hitter on other teams have power, but they aren’t as good of hitters as Balbino. He had a chance for an RBI but he’s human.”

The Tecolotes went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 5-for-31 overall after combining for 32 runs and 37 hits in their previous two games.

Monclova threatened again in the top of the third inning with a single and three walks. Following a double play, the Acereros got a walk and a single. After a double steal left first base open, Guerra intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases and followed with a strikeout to keep the deficit at one.

The Tecolotes had one of their best scoring chances in the bottom half as Osorio led off with a single and Alejandro Rivero reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt putting runners on the corners with no outs. However, the threat only lasted 12 pitches as Carlos Munoz hit a shallow fly ball, Fuenmayor struck out and J.C. Thompson lined out.

Jose Felix led off the fifth inning with a single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt prompting a pitching change as Gerardo Gutierrez replaced Guerra. After a fly out and an intentional walk, Felix scored on a single from Desmond Jennings. Jesus Castillo was caught in a rundown to end the inning but the run scored first giving the Acereros a 2-0 lead.

Rivero reached on an error to lead off the eighth which ended a stretch of nine straight retired for the Tecolotes. Munoz followed with a walk and Fuenmayor grounded into a fielder’s choice putting runners on the corners with one out, but a double play quickly ended the threat as Thompson lined out to the shortstop and pinch runner Yancarlo Angulo was doubled off at first.

Juan Martinez gave the Tecolotes a chance again in the bottom of the ninth leading off with a single. After a pop out, J.P. Ramirez nearly grounded into a game-ending double play. A review upheld a close call at second base and Ramirez narrowly beat the throw to first to keep the game alive. Anderson Hernandez pinch hit and grounded out to the pitcher to close out the night.

The series finale is at 7 p.m. Thursday in Nuevo Laredo. The Tecolotes return to Uni-Trade Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday to open a three-game series with third-place Rieleros de Aguascalientes (15-13), and the final two games will be played in Nuevo Laredo. Alexis Candelario (0-2, 5.96 ERA) will start Thursday’s season finale.